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Dr. Dave Robson

I am a part-time Assistant Principal (Student Support) at St Mary’s College and a Fellow of St Cuthbert’s Society.

Telephone: 0191 334 5972 (St Mary’s)
Email: dave dot robson at durham dot ac dot uk


Outside Interests

Outside of work, I am a member of the 100 marathon club  and I am also a member of Elvet Striders running club and the North East Marathon Club. I also like the theatre and movies. I am a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Senior Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist and a registered BACP counsellor. I worked as a counsellor for Relate for the period 1995-2001. During the years 1997-2018 I also worked part-time in two NHS GP surgeries (Cestria Health Centre and Cheveley Park Medical Centre) as a counsellor.

Academic and Professional Background

B.Sc. degree was in Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield (1969-72)

M.Sc. in Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield (1972-73)

M.Sc. in Computational and Statistical Methodology at the University of Hull (1976-77)

Ph.D. in Computer Studies at the University of Hull (1977-80)

Certificate in Counselling Skills at the University of Durham (1992-93)

M.A. in Counselling at the University of Durham (1993-96)

I was previously a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the British Computer Society

Previous Posts

After graduating from Sheffield in 1973, I worked as a Lecturer in Mathematics at Lady Mabel College of Education (1973-76). Between 1977 and 1980, I worked as a Computational Assistant in the Department of Computer Studies at the University of Hull and studied part-time for my Ph.D.

After leaving Hull in 1980, I worked as a Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Southampton (1980-83). I came to Durham in 1983 as a Lecturer in Computer Science and spent 1986-87 as a temporary Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

When I took up the half-time post of Sub-Dean in October 1995, my full-time post within the Department of Computer Science was converted to half time. The main part of the Sub-Dean’s job was to manage the Natural Sciences degree programme. I left the Department of Computer Science in October 2001 when I became Principal (half-time) of St Cuthbert’s Society. I resigned from St Cuthbert’s Society when the Sub-Dean’s post was made full-time in January 2003

In August 2005, the title of Sub-Dean was changed to Deputy Dean, but I still looked after Natural Sciences as well as having other responsibilities. The post was re-titled in August 2009 to Deputy Head of Faculty (Natural Sciences). I left the post and went part-time in 2010.

I was a Bank Counsellor in the University Counselling Service in the academic year 2010-2011.

I was the Acting Senior Tutor at University College for the academic years 2011-2012 and 2012-2013.

In the third term of 2012-2013 I worked on a temporary basis as a Senior Student Support Officer at St Cuthbert’s Society and Josephine Butler College

I was the Acting Senior Tutor and Vice Principal of Josephine Butler College for the academic year 2013-2014. I started my current post at St Mary’s College in April 2014 (which was re-titled from Senior Student Support Officer to Assistant Principal in March 2021)

I undertook additional temporary work as an Acting Senior Student Support Officer at St Aidan’s College from February 2016 to August 2016

Teaching

My teaching interests were originally in Compiling, Software Engineering, Artficial Intellingence and Computer Programming and Systems. Later in my career I specialised in the effect of IT on society and I used to teach a first year module (Information Systems and People) in this area. I also used to teach social informatics and computer ethics

Research

My research interests were originally in the area of compiling techiques and software testing. My interests later changed to the effect of IT on society and I was particularly interested in social communities on the Internet. In particular, I spent some time studying counselling services which were being offered on the Internet.

All publications

Last updated 15 June 2021